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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — in football
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com